


Colors of Another Life

by EternallyEcho



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, F/F, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route, Fix-It of Sorts, Forests, Meet-Cute, One Shot, Out of Character, Pre-Canon, Slow Romance, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:20:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24778291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EternallyEcho/pseuds/EternallyEcho
Summary: A small look into a world where Byleth and Edelgard meet before Garreg Mach Monastery, and one where they never knew of loss.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 10
Kudos: 68





	Colors of Another Life

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there!
> 
> This is just a small (and fairly rushed) birthday gift for a friend of mine, who has worked very hard these past few months. Edeleth is the favorite pairing of my friend (at least for this title), so I pushed myself into making this little piece.
> 
> In this story, an alternate take on the series is what I had in mind, in which the Crests were never used for humankind. As a result, no Crest experiments, though Rhea still tried to find a way to bring her mother back, hence Sitri's existence. Basically, it was inspired by a few art pieces of Byleth and Edelgard living in a world where they were happy and had their families in tact. (Also, I included the male Byleth as a twin sibling for extra fun, though I gave him the dorky name of Bylite. Byleth Lite, hooray!)
> 
> Head's up: I only just started my own playthrough of Three Houses a few months ago, though I followed various plot strands all over the place already, so I know the general plots for each route. Unfortunately, I did not start with the Black Eagles (gasp) because I knew more about them and the Blue Lions, so I decided to play the Golden Deer route to learn more on them. (I didn't even get to the Battle of Eagle and Lion yet, so, I'm still learning about all of the smaller moments of the game, lol.) In hindsight, that doesn't work too well for me now, but it's worth an effort.
> 
> So, the characterizations might be a little off, but I gave it my best effort based on what I remembered.
> 
> Anyhow, if you're up for some soft cute moments of Byleth meeting Edelgard, feel free to read on, and enjoy!

Under the setting sun that would give way to the great tree moon, a family of four set up tents for themselves. The forest was rather quiet this evening, and even the nearby village seemed to have settled earlier than usual.

The tallest of them stood out, in a bright orange tunic and dirty blonde hair. The rest of his family wore darker clothing, each with green hair. One of the two women stood up and walked to him.

“Jeralt, shouldn’t we start the fire soon?” She brushed back her long hair. “The children will get hungry soon.”

“They’re not kids anymore,” insisted Jeralt. “They’ll be fine a little longer, Sitri. We all will.”

“Still…”

“Fine, we can work on getting the fire going.” He looked to his son, who silently watched his father’s movements. “Bylite, you grab a fishing pole and see if you can get us some fish.” His son smiled slightly and nodded, walking past his lookalike sister. “Byleth, you gather some game from the forest. Your mother can grab some fruit for us, but feel free to grab some more if you can.” She smirked as she lifted her sheathed sword, slinging it around her back. Jeralt chuckled and knelt down to start his campfire. “Ok, let’s see if we can’t cook a decent meal between the four of us. A day off from mercenary work doesn’t mean we slack, so let’s get to it.”

As she walked into the forest, Byleth glanced back at her family. Her parents were preoccupied, but her brother caught her eye from the lakefront, and he smiled to her. She waved as she turned back, and made her way through the trees.

Ten minutes after trekking through, Byleth spotted a deer gently walking through trees. Her hand reached behind her, as she stepped behind a tree. Hand on the hilt of her sword, she crouched down and approached the doe that picked at a nearby bush.

Distance closed, Byleth tugged for her sword, but before she could withdraw it completely, the deer jolted up, looking in the opposite direction. She quickly raced away, never even spotting Byleth, as the mercenary deflated and pushed her sword back.

“This can’t be right.”

Byleth blinked and turned to the direction that the doe had looked, glancing down the forest’s path. A young woman in a red and black outfit strolled along, glancing down at her map, and twisting back around, checking the trees around her. Though she seemed a bit frazzled, her poised posture would give the opposite impression.

“I was certain that this would lead to the lake, but…” She brushed back her light brown hair. Byleth studied how well kept it was compared to hers, or to her family’s. “Remire should be south from this direction, so that’s…” The woman studied her map, holding it up in front of her face. “…Oh. Oh, I see. That might be where I took a wrong turn. …But wait, I was positive that was actually correct, around the bend, past that rock formation…”

Lowering her map, furrowed brow relaxed as her lavender eyes settled ahead, spotting the mercenary. She rubbed her eyes and blinked, taking in Byleth before her.

“Oh! Pardon me! You there!” Byleth raised her eyebrow as the stranger waved and approached. Glancing behind her, Byleth made out the shape of an axe, and her eyes widened. “Excuse me, miss? Would you happen to have any idea of the way leads back to Remire Village? I was with companions of mine, but I separated trying to prove that I could find the Remire Lake, which has gone over rather poorly, I’m afraid to admit.”

She waited a moment as Byleth continued to silently study her. Lifting her hand to her head, the woman lightly smacked it.

“Forgive me, I did not even introduce myself. I am Edelgard.” Still, Byleth remained silent, as Edelgard placed a hand on her hip, waiting for Byleth’s response. “…Ah, I failed to even check. Are you able to speak?”

“Yes.”

“Well!” Edelgard flinched slightly from Byleth’s response, but straightened up again. “I apologize, perhaps I have been too quick with…everything.” She followed Byleth’s gaze, locked behind her. “…Is it my axe?” Edelgard shook her head. “I assure you, I am no bandit.”

“Of course not,” determined Byleth. “Your posture is different from any bandit or mercenary that I’ve come across.”

“My posture?” Edelgard checked around her body. “I didn’t think that I carried myself so particularly, even now…” She sighed. “Would it be terrible of me to ask that you do not treat me as some foolish noble girl that got lost in the woods? It does certainly come off that way, but I assure you that I did have a very calculated plan.”

“Yet you still lost your bearings.”

“Apparently.” She hesitated a moment, but smirked a bit. “I’ve done so poorly that now I’ve struck up a conversation with a complete stranger, and could quite possibly have just ensured my own death.” Edelgard sucked in her cheek and studied Byleth. “You…wouldn’t happen to be a mercenary that hunts other people, would you?”

“No.” Byleth gripped her arm and straightened up. “I’m Byleth. Just out here with my family.”

“A pleasure to meet you.” Edelgard tapped at her chin. “Are you new to Fódlan, by any chance?”

“Not at all. My family and I traveled around the country for most of my life.”

“Really? And yet you didn’t even…” Edelgard shook her head. “No matter. About my earlier request, would you be able to take me back to the village? I fear that I went the complete wrong route for the lake after all.” She paused and placed her hand on her hip. “Provided that you know the way to the village from here, that is.”

“The path back to the village goes along the trail that you probably took from the farm to get here,” instructed Byleth. “Going further on the path past me would lead you to the lake, though you would need to take a turn around the trees surrounding the stones that look like a lion.”

“Wait, then I…was I going the right way?”

“If you barreled on ahead, I suppose you would have arrived to the lake eventually,” determined Byleth.

“Not quite then. Still, it was a fair effort.” Edelgard folded her hands behind her back. “Would you be so kind as to take me to that farm…?”

Nodding, Byleth walked past Edelgard to lead her back toward the farm. They started off in relative silence, as Byleth observed the forest around her, still surveying their surroundings for worthwhile game. Aside from broken tree branches, and a bush that had slightly less leaves along it than the others around it, she was unable to find any signs of animals to feed her family.

Meanwhile, Edelgard followed curiously behind Byleth, looking her up and down. Her rather unkempt green hair dangled over her dark cloak, which covered what Edelgard assumed were broad shoulders. Though the mercenary didn’t seem very large in shape, Edelgard could spy muscular development along Byleth’s exposed forearms. Observing her stride, Edelgard noted a certain level of security and confidence in Byleth’s movements; though she carefully studied the forest, her body remained relaxed and loose.

Stepping on a twig, Edelgard jumped as Byleth twisted around, though she checked below to find the source of the snap, and carried on. Edelgard exhaled and carried on after her.

“Earlier, you mentioned that you were here with your family,” noted Edelgard. “Would you be able to tell me about them?”

“We’re from a band of mercenaries,” revealed Byleth. “My father is the captain, pretty well respected by his men. My mother isn’t the best fighter, but she does her best to keep up around us.” She hesitated a moment as she rubbed below her nose. “My brother is my twin, though…we don’t look exactly alike. But, our father trained both of us to follow in his footsteps regardless.”

“That sounds like a perfectly ordinary family.”

Byleth shrugged. “We may not sound interesting, but I’m perfectly happy with them.”

“Oh, no, I meant that sincerely,” corrected Edelgard. “You seem like you have a wonderful and balanced family, and I admit that I sometimes wish for a bit more of a normal life.”

“How do you mean?” Byleth glanced behind her as Edelgard picked up her pace. “Your family isn’t nice?”

“No, that’s not…sorry, I’m not making myself as clear as my thoughts are to me,” admitted Edelgard. “I do love my family more than anything, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. However…there are quite a few of us.”

“Nobles normally have large families to go with their history,” decided Byleth.

“True, though my father has had more than one wife over his lifetime,” explained Edelgard. “As a result, I have ten siblings along with my parents.”

Jerking back a bit, Byleth turned to Edelgard, as she blinked at her noble companion. Edelgard brushed her hair back, as her lavender eyes settled on Byleth’s blue eyes.

“See, that’s what I meant with my earlier comment.” Edelgard chuckled. “I’m sure you can imagine how difficult a life with so many other siblings can be.”

“It certainly must be challenging at times.”

“Yes, but all the same, I do love each of them dearly.” Edelgard smiled. “My life wouldn’t be nearly the same without any of them.” She sighed and placed her finger on her cheek. “Though, now that leaves me with my next question: what brought your whole family into the company of mercenaries?”

“My father decided upon it, though I guess…he never really explained,” elucidated Byleth. “I’ve grown up with them for my whole life, so I never really thought to question it.”

“You’ve just…always been surrounded by mercenaries?” Edelgard raised her eyebrows as Byleth nodded. “I must admit, that does sound quite mysterious. You seem so very powerful, and yet, your life seems so…unwritten, perhaps.”

“Traveling with mercenary work can only tell so much of a story,” agreed Byleth. “But, it is the life that I have.” She spotted a windmill below the hill they climbed up. “The farm should be up ahead.”

“Already?” Edelgard shook her head. “That took so little time, and I was certain that I’ve been lost for much longer!” She lowered her head a bit. “I can’t believe I’m this hopeless.”

“For what it’s worth, you seem confident enough to mask that well,” weighed Byleth. “If you hadn’t told me, and I hadn’t overheard you, I could’ve assumed you were totally aware of where you were going and what you were doing.”

“Perhaps, though that would have only done worse for me,” confessed Edelgard. “Can you imagine me running around the forest, aimlessly wandering about as I scared off all kinds of woodland critters and collected an array of twigs in my hair?” She scoffed. “That certainly would have been quite the sight.”

“Actually, you might look pretty good with a little dirt on you,” joked Byleth. “You’re very pretty, even without it.”

“Oh, I…well, thank you.” Edelgard’s cheeks lit up a bit as she brushed her hair. “Though, I think I would only do well enough if I had your help around here.” She smiled as she gazed over Byleth again. “You seem confident and powerful, and I believe you definitely have a good idea of what you’re doing.” Her shoulders dropped. “Unlike me. Lately, I’ve felt so aimless with what I’m meant to be doing…”

“Maybe you needed time lost in the woods to find yourself,” assessed Byleth.

“You know, that does make a compelling argument.” Edelgard fixed the glove over her hand. “Had I not been so worried about finding where I was going, I might have had ample time to think things over.” She shook her head. “But I suppose that’s also what my time in the academy will do.”

“Academy?”

“Yes, I’ll be studying at the Officers Academy of Garreg Mach Monastery,” revealed Edelgard. “It’s a school where students are instructed over the art of warfare and history of Fódlan. We’re separated into three houses in order to help facilitate such simulations of combat, in preparation for the potential events out in the world.” Edelgard blinked as she checked over Byleth’s relatively blank face. “…Do I not seem the type to be associated with such a place?”

“I’m still a bit backed up on the monastery being a war school,” admitted Byleth. “I’ve never heard of holy place being used for such.”

“Truly? It’s one of the more famous places in Fódlan,” stressed Edelgard. “You must have heard about it in passing somehow.” Her mouth opened as Byleth shook her head. “But that’s impossible. Everyone that I’ve ever met…can you truly lead a life so far removed from Fódlan’s society?” She shook her head. “If you tell me that you’ve never heard of the countries that make up this continent, I’m going to assume you were never born here at all.”

“Are those the kingdom, the alliance, and the empire?”

“Ah, so those you do know about.” Edelgard relaxed her shoulders. “For a moment, I was going to be so astonished about the bubble that you had grown up in. And yet, I find myself even more intrigued by such a mysterious life you must lead.” She cleared her throat. “At any rate, yes, those territories make up the three houses of the academy.” Edelgard gestured to her outfit. “If you couldn’t tell by my uniform, I’m from the Adrestian Empire.”

“I had no idea, actually.”

“Really?! But I even have the…” Edelgard shook her head. “No, perhaps that’s for the best.” She chuckled. “To think, someone that doesn’t know so many things about our country, our continent…and that’s who I stumbled upon.”

“Edie!”

Both women blinked, and turned down the hill as another woman hurried up from below. Her brown hair wavered with her hurried charge up the hill. Behind her was a man in all black clothing, doing his best to keep up with the young woman.

“Oh, you’re ok!” The young woman grabbed onto Edelgard and held her tightly. “Don’t ever go off without us again!”

“Lady Edelgard likes to make her point clear, even if that results in sheer panic overtaking the rest of us,” dryly assessed the man coming up behind her.

“Dorothea, Hubert, please, I’m quite all right,” insisted Edelgard. “In fact, I almost found the lake after all.”

“Seriously?!” Dorothea pulled back from Edelgard and glared at her. “Edie, we were just teasing you a little bit! You didn’t have to run off to prove a point!”

“Perhaps we took it a bit too far,” relented Hubert. “However, I do agree with Dorothea. At the very least, you could have taken one of us.” He lowered his head. “I would have been beside myself should you have fell from any harm.”

“Tell me about it!” Dorothea placed her hands on her hips. “What kind of princess just runs off into the forest anyway?”

“Princess?”

Edelgard groaned as Hubert and Dorothea finally turned their attention to Byleth. Her eyes widened as Dorothea approached Byleth.

“Ooh, you’re a new face for me!” She slid close to Byleth’s face. “There’s a certain vibe that I’m getting from you…very interesting!”

“Please, Dorothea,” pleaded Edelgard. “Give her some space.”

“Huh? Oh, sure thing, Edie.” With a smirk, Dorothea backed away from Byleth, though not very far. “Didn’t think you’d mind so much. But, I don’t mean to overwhelm either.”

“Allow me to offer my most sincere thanks for returning Lady Edelgard to us.” Hubert bowed to Byleth. “She is vitally important to the Adrestian Empire.”

“Hubert…” Edelgard covered her eyes with her hand. “Must you both be so…?”

“My apologies, Lady Edelgard.”

“Sorry, Edie.”

“Forgive us; my companions are a bit overwhelming from my absence.” Edelgard waited as Byleth studied all three of them. “Right, well. I suppose I should give a more proper introduction to each of us. This here is Dorothea Arnault, a classmate of mine for the upcoming year at the Officers Academy.”

“Nice to meet you!” Dorothea winked to Byleth, but puffed out her cheek as Edelgard lowered her eyes. “Oh, Edie, I already apologized. Can you blame me? There’s something alluring about her.” She sighed. “It’s just nice when it’s just a few of us. I’m a bit excited.”

“That’s understandable,” relented Edelgard. “Admittedly, I did get carried away on the same energy.”

“Ha!”

“Dorothea is also a very talented songstress from the Mittlefrank Opera Company back in the Empire’s capital.”

“One of your favorites, right, Edie?” She grinned as Edelgard blushed. “Aw, come on. I’m just playing around. But if you think so, that’s very flattering.”

“Moving on,” continued Edelgard, “Hubert von Vestra is the heir of Marquis Vestra, and has served me faithfully since I was a child.”

“And shall continue to do so every day of my life, as my family has served for many generations,” swore Hubert. He darkly gazed over Byleth. “A…pleasure to meet you.”

“There is no need to be intimidating to her, Hubert.”

“I beg your pardon, Lady Edelgard.” He smirked as he folded his arms behind his back. “But I am afraid that I do not even know her name.”

“Well, that’s because I was getting to that.” Edelgard tossed her hair back. “This is Byleth, a mercenary that I met while I…ambled around the forest. And she was kind enough to escort me back here to you two.”

“Once more, you have my gratitude,” thanked Hubert. “From now on, I shall escort Lady Edelgard to any and all destinations—”

“Oh, Hubert, you will do no such thing! Honestly.” Edelgard folded her arms and scowled at him, but then exhaled and turned to Byleth. “I…I suppose I owe you a proper introduction for myself as well. It’s true: I am Edelgard, a daughter of Emperor Ionius IX, and ninth in line for the throne myself, though my eldest brother will likely be pushing me further down the line soon enough.”

“Even still, I will continue to serve you most faithfully,” promised Hubert. “I am sworn specifically to you, Lady Edelgard.”

“Thank you, Hubert.” Edelgard kept her attention on Byleth. “I…well, I do suppose this may come as something of a shock for you, considering…you see, I didn’t mean to keep this from you, but…earlier, I had assumed that you would recognize my name immediately, but when you didn’t, it felt like an unexpected relief, and so I just couldn’t…” She sighed and dropped her head. “Forgive me.”

“There’s nothing to forgive,” assured Byleth. “It’s nice to formally meet all of you.”

“Hey, that’s not a bad voice,” complimented Dorothea. “Definitely not what I imagined. Did you recruit her to the Empire, Edie? You’re usually good at swaying everyone over.”

“Not at all, she has her own life to return to, I’m sure.” Edelgard smiled to Byleth. “Though, you are always welcome within the Adrestian Empire, should you ever feel the whim to visit. Perhaps some day I could introduce you to my extensive family as well.”

“That huge crowd,” murmured Dorothea. “Did you give her the rundown of everyone?”

“Oh, you know, I failed to do that as well!” Edelgard straightened up. “First, there are my parents, my father, Emperor Ionius IX, and my mother, Empress Anselma. My eldest brother is Ionius X, first in line for the throne, and quite exceptional in all regards, I admit. Second in line is Lycaon XIII, who is…perhaps not quite the fan of his name. Then there’s—”

“Whoa, Edie, take it easy!” Dorothea rested her hand on Edelgard’s shoulder. “Don’t you think that’s a bit too much?”

“Should I simply list the names off and just a small personal trait?” She thought for a moment and nodded. “Yes, very well. My eldest sister is Kriemheld, a fierce warrior on the field of battle, great with lances. Second behind her is Roswitha, also excellent at combat, though she takes more to the skies for that. Then there’s Sieglinde, who’s more adept with healing arts than any of us.”

“Lady Edelgard, you are rambling again,” pointed out Hubert. “There’s no need for you to introduce all of your older siblings one by one—”

“Ah, I should mention my younger siblings too,” carried on Edelgard. “There is my younger brother, Wilhelm VII, who does enjoy his name and is a bit of a troublemaker. And also there’s Friede, my younger sister and youngest sibling who enjoys coloring and cherishes her personal armored bear stuffy.” She paused and scratched her head. “I didn’t finish naming my older brothers, did I?”

“Edelgard!” Dorothea dropped her arms as Edelgard jumped at her full name coming from the singer. “Byleth doesn’t even know your family. Take it easy.”

“Huh? What?” She blinked and returned her attention to the blank faced Byleth. Groaning and burying her face in her hands, Edelgard slowly dragged them down her face. “Sorry. That was…careless and unnecessary of me.” She shook her head. “I just feel so used to introducing everyone, that I…well, I just blather on about everyone.” Bowing her head, Edelgard stared at the ground. “Forgive me, that was probably too much all at once.”

“That’s fine,” soothed Byleth. “It’s actually cute that you have so much to bring up about your whole family.”

“Cute…? Uh, yes! Naturally!” Edelgard forced a grin. “After all, I couldn’t imagine being without them.”

“Speaking of family, though, I had better get back to mine,” determined Byleth. “I was actually supposed to be hunting game for dinner, but I’ll figure that out on my way back.”

“What? Why didn’t you mention that sooner?” Edelgard deflated. “All of this time, I’ve been going on about my family, my friends, my life, and you’re waiting to get back to dinner!” Byleth shrugged and smiled. “You are far too kind to me, and we barely know one another. Still, and all the same, thank you for everything.”

“My pleasure.”

Byleth ambled back along the path that she had taken Edelgard on, glancing back only once as the windmill vanished from her sight. Hand clasped over the hilt of her blade, she slowed her pace as she looked around the forest. Tree branches swayed slightly from a light breeze, and a few bugs buzzed around the flowers at the edge of the way. But even as she carefully ventured toward the lake, Byleth could not spot any animals.

Crunching footsteps sounded from behind her, and Byleth spun around, only to spot Edelgard sprinting up the path toward her. Taking her hand from the sword, Byleth waited as Edelgard slowed to a stop. She heaved out and panted as she rested her hands on her knees.

“Did you forget something?”

Gradually lifting her head, Edelgard looked up to Byleth and nodded. Straightening herself back up, she held out her hand and opened it. Tilting her head, Byleth stared at the coin in Edelgard’s hand, featuring an intricate design on it.

“Two…two things,” managed Edelgard. She took a moment to catch her breath, and started again when her breathing steadied. “This is the emblem of the Officers Academy, the Goddess Emblem. If you have it, and happen upon the monastery, they should allow you passage to enter.”

“That doesn’t seem wise.”

“Maybe not, but I marked mine on the back with a little eagle design.” Edelgard flipped it over to reveal such on the opposite side. “This way, when they identify it, I can vouch for you and…I don’t know, perhaps you can visit.” She pulled a ribbon with a two-headed eagle attached it out next. “And, because I’m the one currently attending the academy, this insignia is one that is associated with those closest to the princess of the empire.” Sighing out, Edelgard placed both into Byleth’s hands. “If there’s ever a chance that we meet again, or if you ever need my assistance with anything, I vow to find you using either of these and follow you whenever you need.”

“Isn’t that a little much for a princess to promise to a random mercenary?” Byleth gazed up at Edelgard, as her shoulders slumped.

“Maybe, I’ll admit to that.” She shook her head. “But, I owe you at least once over for helping me find my way back, and I intend to repay you for such kindness.” Edelgard smiled. “Also, who knows? Perhaps you’ll need a friend in a high place some day. Or there’s a chance that our paths will cross again, and I’ll need to find you once more.” She nodded. “Either way, I know this is a bit abrupt, but…I feel a deeper connection with you than I can explain. Maybe that…in another life, we knew each other, somehow…”

“Honestly, I had a similar feeling,” confessed Byleth. “And more so now that I see each of these emblems, but…I don’t know why. I’ve never seen this coin’s marking before.”

“It’s all over the school,” revealed Edelgard. “The Archbishop has it everywhere to represent the Church of Seiros. Which is…rather strange, because Seiros has her own emblem.” She folded her arms and pondered it over. “Perhaps I’ll need to ask her when I get back to the academy.” Edelgard shifted her posture and rolled her shoulders. “Honestly, something doesn’t sit entirely right with me about that woman, but at the same time, I can’t possibly place it.”

“Does the word…um, ‘crest’ come to your mind at all?” Byleth watched as Edelgard raised an eyebrow. “For some reason, that hit my mind, looking at these.”

“The word I’ve heard of, but in relation to those?” Edelgard shrugged. “Not a clue.”

“Hmm.”

“At any rate, I better get back myself,” decided Edelgard. “I don’t need Hubert and Dorothea charging after me for taking too long.” She closed Byleth’s hands around the emblems. “If your family has the time, please come visit, either the Officers Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery, or find Enbarr of the Adrestian Empire.” Slowly, she pulled herself away from Byleth. “Well…take care of yourself, my mercenary.”

Blushing at her remark, Edelgard hurried off from Byleth, waving as she sped away. Byleth watched as she disappeared, and gazed over the gifts the princess gave her. Looking back up, she smiled, and wandered back for the campsite.

When she arrived under the moonlight, Jeralt turned away from their family and approached Byleth.

“Everything ok? You’re usually quicker at hunting than your brother.” Byleth glanced down at the ground. “Couldn’t catch anything tonight?” He waited as she shook her head. “Ah, that’s fine. To be honest, I think Remire’s a little too busy for hunting. And your brother managed a good haul with the fishing, so, it works out.” They both turned as Bylite grinned and waved a skewered fish. It slipped as Sitri snatched it from falling, while Jeralt and Byleth chuckled. “Ok, come get some dinner.” His eyes narrowed as he looked to Byleth’s hands. “Also, what are those?”

Byleth opened her mouth as she stared at her father, but words failed her at the moment. She gazed back down to the two emblems and smiled as they sat around the campfire.

Meanwhile, back outside Remire Village, Edelgard and her companions took a trail leading back towards the monastery. Dorothea folded her arms and surveyed the area, while Hubert led them along.

“Shouldn’t we have waited until morning to head back?” Dorothea sank down as her shoulders lifted. “If we run into anyone out here, that wouldn’t be any good…”

“We’re far more likely to encounter Seteth’s wrath for returning late to Garreg Mach,” insisted Hubert. “Furthermore, I highly doubt we’ll meet a scary individual than myself on our return.”

“This is a rather peaceful place overall,” reminded Edelgard. “Bandits haven’t been seen anywhere near Remire in decades.”

“So, about that woman from the woods,” piped up Dorothea. Edelgard and Hubert stopped as they faced her.

“What about her?”

“You like her, don’t you?”

“Excuse me?!” Edelgard shook her head. “We just met, and I have no intentions of suddenly falling for a complete stranger—”

“It seems there is definitely an attraction forming for her,” assessed Hubert.

“Ha! If Hubie agrees, that means it must be true,” determined Dorothea. “…How do you figure that one, anyway?”

“Lady Edelgard’s posture slants back to the left when she’s covering up her desires.”

“Hubert!” Edelgard clasped her hands over her mouth, covering her red cheeks.

“Wow.” Dorothea folded her arms and looked over her companions. “I’m not sure what’s more disturbing: Hubert’s specific attention to detail, or Edelgard’s outburst confirming it.”

“How…I’ve confirmed nothing!” Edelgard twisted from her friends. “You’re both utterly out of your minds!”

“Oh Edie, you’re so cute when you’re mad!” Dorothea giggled. “It suits you.”

“Dorothea, please…!”

“All right, I’ll let it go…for now.” She smirked with a wink to Edelgard. “Teasing you can be all kinds of fun, you know.”

“Ugh…”

“Shall we proceed back to the monastery?” Hubert folded his arms. “We still have a bit of a hike to take.”

“Yes, but now I’m taking lead, and you can both follow me instead,” snapped Edelgard. “Come along!”

“Are you sure you know the way?” Dorothea tilted her head. “We don’t want to have a complete encore of your last venture off. Though, maybe you’ll find that pretty mercenary from the forest?”

“Oh, just come on!”

Walking away from the two, Edelgard gazed up to the starry sky, and cradled herself as she lost herself in the view. After a moment to relax, she lowered her shoulders and eased her posture. Checking her companions behind her, she watched as Dorothea pestered Hubert into a conversation, and she laughed while he rolled his eyes. Turning back to the sky, Edelgard sighed and searched as she spotted a shooting star. Though she maintained her posture, she clasped her hands together as she looked above.

Edelgard wished that she would meet Byleth again.

**Author's Note:**

> Hooray, you made it!
> 
> So, I never found the time to make it there, but I wanted to explain a little more about the AU. It's basically a world created after Rhea realized that she went about the Crests and her quest the wrong way, and decides that she needed to find a path that would help unite her with Byleth and the house leaders. I was going to have a scene that had Byleth and her family arrive at Garreg Mach, where Rhea would be happy to see both versions of Byleth appear, and assigns each to one of the houses. Byleth would have been with the Black Eagles, while Bylite would've gotten the Golden Deer. (Sorry Dimitri, you lead alone.)
> 
> Anywho, the rest came out fairly well! I did want to have Byleth and Edelgard kiss, but I figured that I was being a little too curt with their super fast build-up into a relationship, with Edelgard basically courting Byleth immediately after a simple rescue. (Justified a bit, since she never knew of loss, so she's a *lot* more trusting. And careless. And a bit silly. But, very happy!)
> 
> Going down a list of Germanic names (at least for the sisters, since I stole the brothers' names from canon), I gave Edelgard some descriptions for her siblings, since I couldn't really excuse her whole family into appearing. I was going to have some siblings, but I had more fun including Hubert and Dorothea in the end. Hubert is Edelgard's trusted confidant after all, and...well, honestly, I just really like Dorothea, so I included her too. She's friendly, so it makes sense that she gets close to Edelgard quick enough. (And maybe she has slight crushes on her and Byleth, because I like those pairings too, whoops! Be thankful I couldn't excuse Petra in too. And Ferdinand for Hubert.)
> 
> Other stuff: Bylite gets along well with Byleth, and they're great at swapping roles with one another. Sitri may be the team healer, but if she were not a holy woman, you'd be in trouble. Jeralt tries to act tough, but he's a softie. Edelgard's mom was the winning consort, because I can't think that hard about the messy possibilities. Edelgard was just getting started with her family ranting. Dorothea enjoys invading personal space and hopes you notice. Hubert is slightly softer but also mostly the same. Byleth was slightly torn about not getting to pet a deer, but at least none were harmed in the making of this fanfic. The same can't be claimed for the fish, because the Eisners have a fishing game that's way too strong.
> 
> Probably forgetting some things to go over, I'm sure, but hopefully the rest is clear enough.
> 
> Thank you very much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. And to my friend, I hope you have a very happy birthday!


End file.
